Necrological-1. Having to do with necrology; giving an account of the dead or of deaths

Necrologist-1. A person who writes or prepares obituaries

Necrology-1. Announcement, obituary or notice2. A list of persons who have died3. A notice of a person’s death4. A list of persons who have died in a certain place or time5. A treatise on or an account of the dead6. Formerly, a register of those for whose souls prayer was to be offered(Origin- Greek)

Necrophobia-1. Fear of death2. A morbid fear of death or of dead bodies

Necropolis-1. Large cemetery or graveyard2. An ancient or prehistoric burying ground3. A cemetery, especially one belonging to an ancient city

Necropsy-1. Autopsy; postmortem examination2. An examination of a dead body

Niche-1. In a columbarium, an individual chamber wherein an urn is placed

Obelisk-1. A square shaft with pyramidal top, usually monumental2. The Egyptian obelisks are always monolithic and slightly tapering

Obiit-(Oh-be-it)1. Latin He or she died

Obit-1. Informal. An obituary2. A ceremony performed in memory of a dead person on the anniversary of his death3. The death or date of death of a person4. A ceremony or service commemorating a death5. (Origin- French/Latin- Obitus A going down, a death)

Obituarist-1. The writer of an obituary or obituaries

Obituary-1. Announcement or notice2. A notice of death, often with an account of a person’s life3. Recording of a death or deaths4. Pertaining to the death of a person5. A published notice of death6. A biographical sketch of one recently deceased(Origin M Latin obituarius or obitus)Syn: obit, death notice, necrology

Obsequy-1. The last office of the dead2. A funeral service(Origin Latin exequiae funeral rites and obsequium dutiful service)Syn: funeral rite, ceremony, service

Opening and Closing Fees-1. Cemetery fees for the digging and refilling of a grave.

Ossuary-1. Urn2. Vault for bones3. A vault or the like for the bones of the dead4. A place for holding the bones of the dead5. Charnel house6. Grave mound(Origin- Latin ossuarium, ossuarius of, for bones, ossis a bone)Syn: urn, receptacle, vault

Pall-1. Shroud or black cloth2. A heavy cloth of black, purple, or white velvet spread over a coffin, or hearse, or a tomb3. A covering, usually of black cloth thrown over a coffin or over a tomb(Origin- OE paell a cloak)

Pallbearers-1. Coffin carriers2. One who attends a coffin at a funeral3. One of the men who carries or walks with the coffin at a funeral, so called from the old custom of holding up the corners of edges of the pall carried over the coffin

Perpetual Care Trust Funds-1. A certain portion of the cost of a burial plot is set aside in a trust fund for its ongoing care (usually restricted to grounds keeping, such as lawn cutting, etc.)

Personalized Funerals-1. A personalized funeral is a non-traditional type of funeral growing in popularity

Plot-1. Burial site or unit2. A patch of ground set aside for burial

Posthumous-1. Occurring after death2. Arising or continuing after a person’s death3. Born after the father’s death: said of child

Postmortem-1. Investigation of death2. Expert examination of a human body after death for pathological or judicial purposes3. An autopsy

Post mortem-1. Latin- After death2. Also - postobitum

Post obit-1. Made or done after death2. Taking effect after death

Post Obituary-1. A bond given to secure payment by the obligor of a sum of money on the death of a designated person, generally on from whose estate he has expectations2. Post obit-bond

Potter’s field-1. Pauper’s graves2. A piece of ground set aside for the burial of people who die without friends or money3. A piece of ground appropriated as a burial ground for the destitute and the unknown.4. A field bought for 30 silver pieces which Judas received for betraying Jesus, used as a burial place for strangers (Matthew 27:7-8)

Pre-need or Pre-planning-1. Pre-planning is arranging all aspects of your funeral (especially financing) in advance.

Probate-1. The court process of proving the validity of a will

Procession-1. Cortege2. Death march3. An array, as of persons or vehicles, arranged in succession and moving in a formal manner; a funeral processionSyn: parade, train, column, caravan, cavalcade, file, march, cortege, motorcade

Pyre-1. Pile of wood on which a corpse in burned2. A pile of wood for burning a dead body as a funeral rite3. A heap of combustibles arranged for burning a dead body(Origin- Latin pyra hearth, funeral pile Greek pyr a fire )